Computers and output devices such as printers are extensively used in word processing and other document management tasks. In general, each computer is typically connected to one or more printing devices. The connection may be over a dedicated line that is established directly between the computer and the printing device or instead, through a shared network, such as a company's internal network or LAN that allows the printing device to be shared by multiple computers connected to the network. In general, to allow a computer to communicate with a particular printing device, a print driver that is associated with the specific printing device is installed on the client computer. Each print driver includes a set of commands that allow applications executing on the client to communicate with the corresponding printing device.
Conventionally, when a user selects a print option to print an electronic document, the user is presented with an interface window that allows the user to select or enter certain parameters for printing the electronic document. For example, FIG. 1A illustrates a conventional print interface window 100 that is displayed to a user in response to the user selecting a print option. As depicted, print interface window 100 includes, among other things, a page range selector 104 and a properties button 102. The page range selector 104 allows a user to select a range of pages that are to be sent to a printing device for generating a printed copy (hard-copy) of the selected pages. For example, using page entry box 106, the user may select pages 1, 3 and 5–12 for printing by the printing device that is identified in printer name entry box 108.
Additionally, in response to selecting the properties button 102, the user is presented with a properties window 150 as depicted in FIG. 1B. By interfacing with the properties window 150, the user may select the paper size format (for example, Letter 8½×11 in., Legal 8½×14 in., A4 210×297 mm), and the paper source (i.e., Paper Tray) that is to be used for printing the electronic document.
For example, using paper size drop-down window 158, the user can choose from a set of preselected paper formats. Once selected, the paper format is then used to print all pages within the range of pages selected in page entry box 106.
Also, by selecting “Tray2” in entry box 156, the user may cause the selected pages to be printed using whatever media type that happens to be currently loaded in Tray 2 of the printing device. In addition, by selecting the “Different Paper for 1st Page” option 152, the user may select the paper source that is to be used for printing the first page of the selected range of pages. For example, by selecting “Tray1” in entry box 154, the user may cause the first page of the selected range of pages to be printed using the media type that is currently loaded in Tray 1 of the printing device.
However, a significant drawback with using a conventional printing mechanism as depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B is that the user can only select a single paper size format, thus requiring that all pages within the selected page range be printed using the same paper size format.
In addition, a further drawback with using a conventional printing mechanism is that the user is limited to only two paper sources for printing the pages of an electronic document, and in the case of pages 2-n of the selected page range (“base pages”), the user is limited to only a single paper source. Furthermore, the user can only select the specific tray that is to be used as a paper source for printing the document. Thus, the user is not provided with any information as to the type of media that is associated with a specific tray selection (for example, 8½×11 paper, 8 2×14 paper, recycled paper, transparencies, color paper, etc.), let alone the actual type of media that is available for generating a hard copy of the electronic document.
In addition, because the conventional printing mechanism fails to provide the user with any information as to the media type that is currently loaded with a particular paper source, the user can mistakenly select a paper size format that is inconsistent with the media type that is currently loaded with a particular paper source.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for a printing mechanism that allows a user to flexibly select the media types that are used to print a hard copy of a particular range of pages within an electronic document.
There is also a need for a printing mechanism that provides a user with dynamic information as to the media types that are currently available to the user for printing a hard copy of an electronic document.
There is also a need for a printing mechanism that allows a user to select multiple paper size formats for printing pages within a selected page range.
There is also a need for a printing mechanism that identifies to the user the set of one or more paper size formats that are compatable with the media types that are currently associated with the printing device.
Still further, there is a clear need for a printing mechanism that will allow a user to select multiple paper sources for printing the pages within a multiple base page range of an electronic document.